Town or village
Dhankuta
A tidy ridge-top town on the Koshi Highway above Dharan, and a pleasant base for the eastern hills.
Koshi Provinceधनकुटा
Dhankuta District
A tidy hill town and cool ridges on the Koshi Highway, a gateway to the eastern hills with oranges, Hile's bazaar and Rai and Limbu culture.
- Province
- Koshi
- Headquarters
- Dhankuta
- Area
- about 902 km²
- Places on Firfirey
- 3
About Dhankuta
Dhankuta is a mid-hill district of Koshi Province, set on ridges above the Tamor and Arun rivers, which join on its western side before flowing south as the Sapta Koshi. Sunsari and the Terai lie below to the south, Bhojpur and Sankhuwasabha to the west and north, and Terhathum to the east. Elevations run from warm river valleys to cool forested ridges around Hile.
Dhankuta town was long an administrative centre for the eastern hills and is known for its clean, orderly bazaar. Rai, Limbu, Newar, Magar and Brahmin-Chhetri communities live here, and the Athpahariya Rai are associated with the area. Oranges, tea, vegetables and dairy support the economy. Visitors come for the hill air, the market town of Hile and as a staging point for the Arun valley and the Tinjure-Milke ridges.
Places in Dhankuta
Getting there
The Koshi Highway climbs from Itahari and Dharan in the Terai up to Dhankuta and on to Hile, a scenic drive of a few hours on a winding mountain road. The nearest airport with regular flights is Biratnagar, from where buses and jeeps run north via Dharan.
Best time to visit
October to April is the most pleasant period, with clear autumn views and mild winter days, though Hile can be cold and foggy; the monsoon from June to September brings heavy rain, cloud and occasional landslides on the highway.
Other districts in Koshi Province
Editorial draft: the district overview is being checked. Headquarters and Nepali names: nepal-places dataset (MIT). Area and map position computed from the district boundaries of the Government of Nepal, Survey Department, via OCHA.